Cowboys have goals much higher than just making the playoffs

WASHINGTON – The Cowboys clinched a playoff berth with a 17-0 blanking of the Washington Redskins on Sunday night.

But there wasn’t any celebrating in the locker room afterward. This team has goals that go way beyond just making the playoffs.

And No. 1 at the moment is beating the Eagles next week for the division championship and the right to start the playoffs at home.

“We’ve got an opportunity to finish it off with a division championship next week, and that’s what we’ve been aiming for,” coach Wade Phillips said. “There was a lot of elation in the locker room for getting into the playoffs, but not a lot of celebration.”

Owner Jerry Jones says the Philadelphia game is the first of the club’s playoff games. That’s a smart move on his part. It sets the right tone for a club that desperately needs to open the playoffs at home if it wants to win its first playoff game since 1996.

“We’re not achieving anything that’s going to stand the test of time here,” Romo said said of clinching a playoff berth. “It’s an important step in the process, but our real goals are still ahead of us.